The invention generally relates to an apparatus for the management of data for the operation of a communications network.
European Patent Application No. 689 368 A1 discloses an apparatus for the communication of messages in a communications network for voice and data processing, which relates to a cellular mobile radio network according to the GSM standard (Global System for Mobile Communication). The entire area of the mobile radio network is covered by mutually adjoining and mutually overlapping radio cells. Each radio cell is provided with a base station (PBS, radio base station) which performs the radio supply to the mobile radio terminals. On each radio link between the base station and the terminal, all the voice and control information items are transmitted in a digitally encrypted manner. A base station controller (BSC) provides for a smooth progression when a terminal passes from one radio cell to another neighboring cell. For their part, the base station controllers are combined into a superordinate mobile service switching center (MSC) which establishes the transition to a wire-based network, for example.
Connected to the mobile service switching center is a short message service center (SMS-C) which controls the connection and the transmission of messages (short messages) from a central computer to a terminal or from a first terminal to a second terminal (point-to-point). In GSM phase 2, it was thus possible to communicate short messages such as xe2x80x9cPlease call subscriber xyxe2x80x9d via the short message service center (SMS-C) to a terminal. With GSM phase 2+, it is now provided that applications can be communicated from a central computer via the short message service center (SMS-C) to a terminal and then be stored permanently on a smart card. By way of example, a list of service numbers of the network operator can be stored on a memory area of the smart card to which the subscriber can have recourse at any time, in which case the corresponding application cannot be erased by the subscriber. A further memory field is required for each further application to be implemented on the smart card by the network operator. Since the memory reserve of the smart card is limited, it can happen that a desired application cannot be stored.
An embodiment of the invention includes an apparatus for the management of data for the operation of a communications network. The communications network has a multiplicity of terminals that are each assigned to a user by means of a smart card that can communicate with the terminal. The apparatus has a message unit for transmitting and receiving short messages to and from the smart card and a central management unit. The central management unit has a database that stores smart card-specific data and that stores application-specific data relating to applications stored on the smart card. The number of free memory fields available for an application on the smart card can be determined at any time for the smart card.
An object of the invention, therefore, is to design an apparatus for the management of data for the operation of a communications network in such a way as to enable memory space management for the respective smart cards of the terminal, so that the network operator and/or the subscriber can obtain information about the present free memory reserve at any time.
An advantage of the invention consists, in particular, in the fact that the apparatus according to the invention enables particularly fast and effective management of data which keeps ready for a user the necessary information about the memory reserve on the smart card, in order to make the decision as to whether and if appropriate which application can be stored on the smart card.
According to one embodiment of the invention, an application database is provided, in which the application-specific data are stored. These data preferably comprise categorized information about the storage size of the applications that are possibly to be transmitted to the smart card, with the result that the database only has to be of a limited size.
According to one aspect of the invention, the message unit is connected to a short message unit, with the result that it is possible to be informed about the free memory reserve on the relevant smart card by the transmission and reception of a standardized short message. Provided that there is sufficient free memory space on the smart card for the relevant application, this application can be transmitted to the smart card by means of the short message and be stored in the smart card. Consequently, after the memory space monitoring has been effected, the user immediately obtains the desired application implemented on his smart card.
According to one aspect of the invention, an SIM database is provided, in which the card-specific data are stored. By virtue of the separate assignments of the card-specific data to the SIM database, on the one hand, and of the application-specific data to the application database, on the other hand, it is possible to achieve rapid retrieval of the extensive information.